Today I ended up wasting my last day of break by barricading myself in my room with my computer. I woke up relatively early and planned to work on some art projects but had a headache so instead I lurked around /jp/ for a while saving Touhou pictures like always and checking out other interesting threads about VNs and such.
For whatever reason I decided that I would play a little Ever17 before I really got working but before I knew it I couldn’t stop. The last time I played was exactly a month ago and apparently left off right when “Kid” learned why You was working for LeMU. Anyways I got really absorbed into the story and in no time (skipping spoilers) ended up getting You’s bad end. Feeling upset I jumped back into bed and slept for a few hours until about 5.
When I woke up I still wasn’t feeling well and with Ever17 still in my mind I decided to play again and hopefully get a good end. After preparing some cup ramen, I went back and started once more. I loaded up a save file from nearly the same point as I started playing earlier except this time I was in the middle of the kick-the-can game. When applicable I chose the choice I didn’t pick last time and somehow ended up on Sara’s path and ending up getting a good end. I later did a little backtracking to get the bad end for completions sake.
Even after getting a satisfying end, I wasn’t able to stop. With the information I had from the paths I played, it was impossile for me o figure out what is really going on so I loaded a save file from really early in the game when Takeshi first meets Tsugumi. This is currently where I stopped and hopefully I will get to see Tsugumi’s path next. She probably my favorite character becuase she is always cool and thinks everyone else is a moron and/or an annoyance. After playing that for a bit I decided to break the addiction with another addiction and fired up Touhou Mountain of Faith Extra and got owned by Suwako kero-chan.
===spoilers for Ever 17===
Even after stopping myself from playing anymore, I can’t help but want to continue. The clues I have gathered so far from the paths I have played are not nearly adequate enough for me to figure out what is really going on. First is the idea about the third eye from You and the Kid’s ability to see infrared radiation. The extra vision he has helps explain some instances of precognition such as the overheating generator but not all of them. Then there is the message at the end of the game saying “this is not the end, you are the only one in the infinity loop” which makes it sound like one of the characters is trapped in some sort of temporal loop until he/she can get the true end.
I also wonder why Sara was the preferred test subject over Kid. Does she have a stronger form of whatever they are researching or does she posses something completely different. Maybe Kid is mistaken and that in fact he was the one more closely monitored. It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch given that he isn’t able to recall the recent past before finding himself at LeMu despite regaining his memories once he realizes that Sara is his sister. Perhaps they did something to him right before the game started as a part of a test that also happened to trigger amnesia.
There also seems to be some sort of conspiracy going on revolving around the pharmaceutical company funding LeMU. Tsugumi seems to distrust everyone else and has an idea as to what is actually going on. It also seems like she may also be able to recall past loops which could explain why she is so indifferent all the time. She seems to also have the idea that there is also a fourth basement level for special research contrary to what Sora says. I think that it really exists but I don’t think Sora is trying to hide that but rather she herself not having top-level security clearance honestly does not know about it.
The door marked Himmel that Kid finds before drowning with You is probably where it is located. The corridor that he sees in his dream is probably connected to that fourth floor complex as well. I’m still not sure what those capsules in the room could be. Maybe some sort of gene manipulation or virtual reality devices? I’ll probably need to survive long enough to get through the Himmel door if I want to find out.
Another thing on my mind right now is what is up with Coco? In my current file, everyone is interacting with her like normal but I have yet to meet up with Sara. Conversely in my previous games, Coco is only visible to Kid and Sara replaces her as the sixth person. Kid also mistakes Sara as Coco at one point and inadvertently saves her from a room that would be flooded in just a few hours. Along with the strange conversations she seems to have with a mysterious unseen third party and the cryptic clues the “phantom” Coco leaves behind for Kid, things seems to suggest that she too knows what is going on and trying to save everyone.
Lastly is the life signs readings. When everyine first sees them on screen, the number keeps fluctuating between 5, 6 and 7. Not including Sora who is a hologram, there should be six other characters trapped in LeMU: Takeshi, Kid, You, Tsugumi, Sara and Coco. The question arises, “why would the life signs reading jump to 5 and 7?” For 7, there are two possibilities that come to mind. Either there is someone else in LeMU that no ones knows about (possibly in the fourth level) or that for some reason Sora registers a life sign which could somewhat explain the fluctuations. As for 5, I’m not sure what to make of it. One possibility is that one of the characters is not really alive namely Coco. Is she some sort of ghost, spectral imprinting, hologram, afterimage from a past loop or something completely different. Then there is the matter of the final screen you always get at the end of the game–Life Readings: 1. It’s driving me nuts; I have to know who or what it is.
===end spoilers===
Overall it was an enjoyable day if nothing else. I’ll probably have to wait a few more weeks to play some more Ever17 with various midterm assignments and such still needing to be done. I do way to many art projects for someone not in that field. Maybe I should switch and become an art major lol.
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Once you get the chance, play it. Ever17 is really worth playing through all the way to the true, final end.
Also, Tsugumi is mai waifu, contrary to what other people *coughritchancough* might have you think.
Zeroblade´s last blog post..Fall 2008 Impressions
You’re hooked on something really good, I can tell you that. Let me explain a few things that won’t be too spoilerish:
TINY SPOILERS AHEAD. (go ahead and read them, it’s find. they are really tiny)
If you have played any of the other games in this series, you will know that the infinity loop doesn’t involve any of the characters that you see. It’s YOU who is forced to go through the game again and again to get to the true ending.
Sara is special because of her skills with the computer.
There’s a special reason that he lost his memories, but this game doesn’t specifically state it and it’ll take over half an hour to properly explain. Maybe I’ll start on it after you’ve finished
SMALL SPOILERS OVER
The ending is driving you nuts? Excellent! You’ll think that the game screwed your head off when you find out who the last person is.
I hope you enjoy this game, it’s one of the few great games that had been translated to english.
Choux´s last blog post..Defining [or Erasing?] the Line – Human vs. Robot
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Gah, if it weren’t for midterm work I would have finished this already! I’ll make sure to make a post once I have time to properly finish the game.
Hi there! ♥
Is there any chance you can send me this game or maybe point out where I can download it, if possible? I’ve been interested on this game since 2001, when it was released~
Ai´s last blog post..Punk day
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I don’t usually do this but since the game is only sold second-hand nowadays for tons of money, here’s a torrent link.
I hope you don’t mind if I use the first screenshot for usage on my blog(I need a anime-related reference to danmaku)?
.-= Chrouya´s last blog ..HftOW Ch.1 – The Land Behind the Boundary =-.